KR20230067943A - Soda water maker and method for producing soda water - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a carbonated water generating device for providing carbonated water to a user and a method for producing carbonated water using the device. In an embodiment, a space in which carbonated water is generated by mixing water and carbon dioxide is formed, and the bottom is a discharge line. A mixing container unit connected to, a gas supply unit supplying high-pressure carbon dioxide to the mixing container unit, a water supply line connected to an upper portion of the mixing vessel unit so that water introduced from a water source is introduced from the upper portion of the mixing container unit, and the water supply Provided is a carbonated water generating device including a fluid pump provided in a line and ejecting water flowing into the mixing container at high pressure and at high speed, and a method for producing carbonated water using the same.

Description

Carbonated water generating device and method for producing carbonated water using the same {Soda water maker and method for producing soda water}

The present invention relates to a carbonated water generating device for providing carbonated water to a user and a method for producing carbonated water using the device.

Along with industrial development, pollution of water resources directly related to dietary life has been increased as environmental pollution has become serious. In recent years, consumers' interest in healthy drinking water is growing. In accordance with this trend in the water market, companies that manufacture bottled water with clean groundwater are increasing, and recently, they are expanding to the area of deep water. Since such natural water is limited in supply and more expensive than tap water, the water purifier industry for purifying tap water is also developing.

One of the development aspects of the water supply system is water treatment according to the consumer's preference. In particular, as the seasons change, consumers want to drink cold or warm water. Accordingly, there is provided a cold/hot water dispenser that adjusts and provides water temperature. Currently, it is a general trend that cold and hot water dispensers are installed as additional functions in dispenser devices provided by bottled water suppliers, and are also provided as additional functions in water purifiers that purify and provide tap water.

One of the development directions of the water supply device for consumer's taste is the function of generating and providing carbonated water. The production of carbonated water is produced by dissolving carbon dioxide in water, which is almost the same method as the production method of carbonated beverages such as cola or cider or draft beer. The quality of carbonated water depends on the amount of carbon dioxide dissolved in the water, that is, the degree of tingling according to the carbon dioxide gas pressure.

Republic of Korea Patent Registration No. 10-0735914 (2007.06.28) Republic of Korea Utility Model Publication No. 20-2013-0006029 (2013.10.16) Republic of Korea Patent No. 10-1565887 (2015.10.29)

An object of the present invention is to provide a carbonated water generating device capable of smoothly providing carbonated water of good quality desired by a user, and a method for producing carbonated water using the device.

Other detailed objects of the present invention will be clearly identified and understood by experts or researchers in the art through the specific contents described below.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is an embodiment, in which water and carbon dioxide are mixed to form a space in which carbonated water is generated, a mixing container unit whose bottom is connected to a discharge line, and a high-pressure carbon dioxide supply to the mixing container unit The water supply line connected to the upper part of the mixing container part and the water supply line are provided so that the water introduced from the gas supply part and the water source flows in from the upper part of the mixing container part, and the water flowing into the mixing container part is ejected at high pressure. Provided is a carbonated water generating device including a fluid pump for making.

In another embodiment, a loop line connected to the discharge line and the water supply line by a directional control valve may include a loop line for maintaining high-pressure and high-speed ejection by the fluid pump while circulating the liquid in the mixing container to the outside. there is.

In these, water supplied from the water supply line may form a gas sheath by colliding with the water surface in the mixing vessel unit while being jetted downward at high pressure and high speed from the ceiling of the mixing vessel unit.

In addition, a water level sensor for detecting the water level in the mixing container unit is provided, and when the water level in the mixing container unit reaches a certain level, the control unit operates the liquid circulation using the fluid pump and the loop line by operating and controlling the directional switching valve. can include

On the other hand, a carbonated water production device having a mixing container unit forming an airtight space, a gas supply unit supplying carbon dioxide, a water supply line supplying water, and a fluid pump provided in the water supply line to pressurize water. In the method for producing carbonated water, water and carbon dioxide are injected into the mixing container to set a high-pressure gas environment, and water is ejected onto the surface of the water at high pressure and high speed through the fluid pump to form a gas sheath to produce carbonated water. And, it provides a carbonated water production method in which the produced carbonated water is discharged from the mixing container and provided to the user.

In another embodiment of the method for producing carbonated water, a mixing container unit forming an airtight space, a gas supply unit supplying carbon dioxide, a water supply line supplying water, and pressurizing water provided in the water supply line In the carbonated water production method using a carbonated water production device having a fluid pump for discharging liquid from the mixing container unit, a discharge line through which liquid is discharged from the mixing container unit, and a loop line connected to each of the water supply lines by a directional switching valve, the mixing container unit Supplying water and carbon dioxide to set a high-pressure gas environment filled mainly with water and carbon dioxide gas at a certain level, opening the loop line by operating the directional control valve, and generating high-pressure and high-speed A method for producing carbonated water includes generating carbonated water by ejecting a liquid to form a gas sheath and discharging the carbonated water to the outside of the mixing container unit.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, carbonated water having a high carbonation gas pressure may be provided to the user. In addition, it is possible to provide continuous carbonated water by immediately generating and discharging carbonated water for one serving.

Other effects of the present invention will be clearly identified and understood by experts or researchers in the art through the specific details described below or during the course of practicing the present invention.

1 is a view showing the main configuration of a carbonated water generating device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a view showing the main configuration of a carbonated water generating device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram briefly illustrating a state of use of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;
4 is a block diagram showing a method for producing carbonated water according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a block diagram showing a method for producing carbonated water according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the configuration, function, and action of the carbonated water generating device and the method for producing carbonated water using the carbonated water generating device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, reference numerals for the same or similar components throughout the drawings and embodiments will be uniformly used.

Also, in the following description, terms such as 'first' and 'second' are used to distinguish components having technical meanings within the same range for convenience. That is, any one configuration may be arbitrarily named a 'first configuration' or a 'second configuration'.

The accompanying drawings show applied embodiments of the present invention, and the technical idea of the present invention should not be construed as limited through the accompanying drawings. If it can be interpreted from the point of view of an expert belonging to this technical field that some or all of the figures shown in the drawings are not inevitably required for the practice of the invention, this does not limit the invention described in the claims.

The carbonated water generating device and method for producing carbonated water using the same according to an embodiment of the present invention may be installed in addition to existing water supply devices such as water purifiers and cold/hot water dispensers.

That is, water purified by the water supply device or cooled cold water may be used as raw water, and a dispenser providing water to the user may also be used to provide carbonated water.

Furthermore, in implementing the method for producing carbonated water, part or all of the hardware configuration of the control unit provided in the water supply device may be used.

Specifically, in a typical water supply device, the control unit receives measured values of various sensors such as a water level sensor, a pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor as electrical signals, and based on this, the central processing unit implements a function of controlling a fluid pump or various electronic valves. , a signal input/output module, a signal processing device, a memory, and an arithmetic module. The control unit according to the present invention can also utilize the hardware configuration and control logic provided in such a water supply device.

1 shows the main components of the carbonated water generating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The carbonated water generating device according to the first embodiment includes a mixing container unit 10, a gas supply unit 20, a water supply line 31, and a fluid pump 40.

The mixing container unit 10 is an airtight pressure container forming a space in which carbonated water is generated by mixing water W and carbon dioxide. A discharge line 11 connected to a dispenser (not shown) of a water supply device is connected to the bottom of the mixing container unit 10. The discharge line 11 is equipped with a valve 111 that is controlled to open and close.

The gas supply unit 20 injects high-pressure carbon dioxide into the mixing container unit, and includes a gas cylinder (not shown) storing carbon dioxide, a gas supply line 21 connecting the gas cylinder and the mixing container unit, and a gas supply line 21 ) is provided with a valve 211 for opening or closing. Furthermore, although not shown, various devices commonly used in existing carbonated water generating devices, such as a regulator connected to a gas cylinder and a water separator, may be further provided.

The water supply line 31 connects the water source (water tank) and the mixing container 10, and a valve 311 for opening and closing the line and a fluid pump 40 for pressurized transfer of water are mounted thereto. The water source may be a water tank storing room temperature water or a cold water container storing cold water.

Here, the water supply line 31 is connected to the upper part of the mixing container 10 so that the water pressurized by the fluid pump 40 is sprayed downward from the inner ceiling of the mixing container 10 at high speed.

As an additional configuration, a water level sensor (L) for detecting the water level of the mixing container unit 10 may be further provided. The water level sensor (L) detects a change in water level in the mixing container unit, allowing the control unit to determine how much liquid is in the mixing container unit. For example, in a standby state in which carbonated water is not produced, when the control unit detects that the mixing container unit is full of water, a drain operation may be performed to empty the inside. This level sensor can be omitted by introducing a time-dependent sequence control.

As another additional configuration, a pressure sensor (not shown) for measuring the pressure inside the mixing container may be further provided. In this case, the control unit may determine whether the carbonated water generating device is normally operated based on the pressure change inside the mixing container unit detected by the pressure sensor.

In this way, for the purpose of monitoring the normal operation of the carbonated water generating device or detecting an abnormal situation, various types of sensors or various lines and electronic valves for gas vent operation or liquid drain operation to solve the abnormal situation are used. More may be provided.

3 relates to a carbonated water generating device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

The carbonated water generating device according to the second embodiment includes a mixing container unit 10, a gas supply unit 20, a water supply line 31, and a fluid pump 40, which do not conflict with the contents described below. It is possible to include the technical features of the first embodiment described above as they are within the range.

Furthermore, it further includes a loop line 50 connected to the water supply line 31 and the discharge line 11 to the direction switching valves 511 and 512, respectively.

Here, as the directional control valves 511 and 512, one of known three-way valves capable of electronic control may be selected and used. The control unit may operate and control each directional control valve according to a control process.

The control unit operates and controls the first directional control valve 511 connecting the water supply line 31 and the loop line 50 to connect the water source and the mixing container unit 10, or to connect the discharge line 11 and the water supply line. (31) can be connected. In addition, by controlling the operation of the second direction switching valve 512 connecting the loop line 50 and the discharge line 11, the discharge line 11 and the loop line 50 are connected or the loop line 50 is closed. It is possible to connect the dispenser and the mixing container unit 10 while doing so.

When the loop line 50 is connected to the water supply line 31 and the discharge line 11 and activated by the operation of the first and second directional control valves 511 and 512, the liquid (water Alternatively, carbonated water or the same below) can be circulated through the discharge line 11 and the loop line, and then into the mixing container part 10 again through the water supply line 31 and the fluid pump 40.

The liquid is circulated through the loop line 50 by the operation of the fluid pump 40, and the water pressurized by the fluid pump 40 is ejected into the mixing container unit 10 at high speed.

At this time, since the inflow of new water from the water source is blocked by the first directional control valve 511 and there is no outflow to the outside through the discharge line 11 by the second directional control valve 512, the existing mixing container unit The fluid pump 40 continues to circulate the liquid contained in (10).

Although not shown, in the first and second embodiments, a refrigerant jacket or a pipe through which a refrigerant flows is wound around the mixing container unit several times to cool to a low temperature. By maintaining the inside of the mixing container at a low temperature, the solubility of carbon dioxide can be further increased.

Figure 3 relates to a part of the process of generating carbonated water in the mixing container. In FIG. 3 , expressions such as water surface, air bubbles, and current are exaggerated or simplified for better understanding.

A certain amount of water is contained in the mixing container unit 10 and carbon dioxide is injected so that the water and the air layer can coexist. At this time, the main component of the air layer is carbon dioxide introduced from the gas cylinder, and as it passes through a regulator and is introduced at a preset pressure, the internal pressure of the mixing container unit 10 becomes a high-pressure situation higher than atmospheric pressure. For example, the pressure of the mixing vessel unit 10 may be 2 atmospheres or more.

In such a high-pressure gas environment where a certain amount of water and a high-pressure air layer mainly composed of carbon dioxide exist together, when the fluid pump 40 operates, high-pressure and high-speed water flows from the ceiling inside the mixing container 10 toward the water surface e at high speed. is ejected into

The water jet ejected at high pressure and high speed from the fluid pump 40 forms a cone-shaped downstream section A at a certain depth even after colliding with the water surface e due to its momentum. In addition, as the ejected water stream t comes in contact with the water surface e, the water on the water surface e is also swept downstream to form a water flow that descends together.

At this time, between the stream of water t ejected from the water supply line 31 and the water of the water surface e that is swept away by it, the surrounding gas, that is, carbon dioxide, is introduced. That is, a gas sheath is formed in which external gas penetrates into the liquid by being swept away by the water stream t flowing under the water surface e.

The formed gas sheath soon breaks down, forming a large number of bubbles. That is, carbon dioxide is dispersed in water in the form of small bubbles, and as the area in contact with water quickly increases, it becomes easy to dissolve in water. This eventually increases the carbon dioxide gas pressure of the carbonated water.

The carbonated water produced in this way is then provided to the user through the discharge line 11 and the dispenser.

1 and 4 relate to a method for producing carbonated water using a carbonated water device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

In the atmospheric state before starting to produce carbonated water, the mixing vessel unit 10 is almost or entirely empty of liquid, and the air pressure filling the empty space is substantially equal to or slightly higher than atmospheric pressure. After generating and discharging carbonated water several times, the inside of the mixing container unit 10 in an atmospheric state is mainly filled with carbon dioxide.

When the user starts dispensing carbonated water by manipulating a control panel such as a water supply device, the control unit produces carbonated water in the following order.

First, the control unit injects water and carbon dioxide into the mixing container unit 10 to set the inside of the mixing container unit to a high-pressure gas environment in which water and high-pressure carbon dioxide coexist.

Specifically, the fluid pump 40 is operated to inject water into the mixing container unit 10 . At this time, the fluid pump 40 may be operated for a predetermined time to meet the intended quantity, or the fluid pump may be controlled by receiving feedback from a detection value of a water level sensor.

In this step, the flow rate supplied may be set to an amount smaller than the amount of carbonated water to be provided to the user at one time. In addition, when the fluid pump 40 discharges water at high speed, it is necessary to fill the water at an appropriate level so that a water stream can be smoothly formed under the water surface.

In consideration of this comprehensively, the size and shape of the mixing container unit 10 can be designed so that a sufficient water level can be formed with an amount less than the amount of carbonated water to be provided at one time.

The control unit may utilize the aforementioned water level sensor to determine whether an appropriate amount of water has been injected.

Meanwhile, the control unit opens the valve 211 of the gas supply line 21 to increase the pressure of carbon dioxide in the mixing container unit 10 . For example, the mixing container unit 10 may be filled with carbon dioxide at a pressure of about 2 kg/cm 2 or higher.

Here, the operation of filling the mixing vessel unit 10 with water and the operation of increasing the carbon dioxide pressure may be performed sequentially or simultaneously.

After setting the inside of the mixing container unit 10 to a high-pressure gas environment, the control unit operates the fluid pump 40 to eject additional water onto the surface of the water at high pressure and high speed. As a result, while the gas sheath described above is formed, carbon dioxide is rapidly dissolved in water to produce carbonated water.

Since water is additionally supplied into the limited space, the water level in the mixing container unit gradually rises and the internal pressure of the mixing container unit rises slightly. Thus, the additional high-pressure water ejection and the resulting carbonated water production operation are limited to a preset level. For example, the amount of water additionally supplied to the mixing container unit may be limited according to the amount of carbonated water to be provided to the user per serving. Alternatively, additional water may be supplied under the condition that the pressure limit value of the mixing container part is set in advance and the limit value is reached.

After the carbonated water is generated, the valve 311 of the water supply line 31 is closed, and the valve 111 of the discharge line 11 is opened to discharge the completed carbonated water from the mixing container unit 10.

At this time, since the high-pressure carbon dioxide is filled inside the mixing vessel unit 10, all carbonated water is discharged out of the mixing vessel unit 10 by a pressure gradient simply by opening the valve 111 of the discharge line 11. When the carbonated water is discharged, the gas supply line 21 and the water supply line 31 are blocked, and the flow of carbonated water inside the mixing container is suppressed, so the decarbonation process is minimized and carbonated water in a metastable state is released. fully available to the user.

2 and 5 relate to a method for producing carbonated water using a carbonated water device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

The carbonated water apparatus according to the second embodiment may also be started on the premise that the mixing container unit 10 is empty in the standby stage.

When carbonated water production starts, the control unit fills the mixing container with water and carbon dioxide to set a high-pressure gas environment.

The control unit operates and controls the first directional control valve 511 to activate the water supply line 31 connecting the water source and the fluid pump 40, and the second directional control valve 512 is the discharge line 11 leading to the dispenser act to close it. Thereafter, the fluid pump 40 is operated to introduce water from the water source into the mixing container unit 10.

Other operations of filling water and carbon dioxide into the mixing container unit 10 may be the same as the carbonated water production method of the first embodiment described above.

After the high-pressure gas environment is formed inside the mixing vessel unit 10, the control unit operates and controls the first directional switching valve 511 so that the mixing vessel unit 10, a part of the discharge line 11, and the second directional switching valve ( 512), the loop line 50, the first directional control valve 511, the fluid pump 40, and the water supply line 31 connected to the mixing container unit to form a circulation ring structure.

Thereafter, the fluid pump 40 is operated to circulate the liquid inside the mixing container unit 10 through the loop line 50 and eject it into the mixing container unit 10 at high pressure and high speed. The water ejected at high speed collides with the surface of the mixing vessel unit 10 to form the aforementioned gas sheath, and carbonated water is rapidly generated.

An operation of activating the loop line 50 to circulate the liquid inside the mixing container unit 10 and ejecting it on the water surface at high pressure and high speed through the fluid pump 40 may proceed over a predetermined number of seconds. During the course of high-speed ejection, the solubility of carbon dioxide increases, and the carbon dioxide gas pressure of the produced carbonated water can be greatly increased.

Since the liquid is circulated and the fluid pump is operated, the internal pressure of the mixing container unit can be maintained almost constant, and since new water is not additionally introduced, there is no burden on pressure change (especially pressure increase) inside the mixing container unit 10. Can perform high-velocity water jets. By maintaining the high-speed water jet for an appropriate time, it is possible to raise the solubility close to supersaturation. As a result, after the carbonated water is finally discharged into the user's cup, the carbonic acid gas pressure does not rapidly decrease.

Thereafter, the control unit operates the second direction change valve 512 to close the loop line 50 and open the discharge line 11 toward the dispenser. Accordingly, carbonated water is pushed to the discharge line 11 by the pressure of the air layer formed on the rise of the mixing container unit 10 and discharged to the dispenser.

The carbonated water production apparatus and the carbonated water production method according to the present invention forcefully introduces and dissolves carbon dioxide into water while a stream of water shot at high speed and high pressure collides with the surface of the water, thereby obtaining carbonated water having a high carbon dioxide gas pressure in a short time. That is, carbonated water of good quality can be provided to the user by rapidly dissolving carbon dioxide in water within a few seconds when the user requests carbonated water. Since the time required to produce carbonated water is very short, it is possible to continuously provide carbonated water multiple times.

In particular, carbon dioxide solubility can be increased to an intended level within a short period of time because carbonated water generation operation is continued through a fluid pump while a loop line is provided to circulate water inside the mixing container unit. As a result, the carbon dioxide gas pressure of the carbonated water discharged from the user's cup is not easily lowered. Accordingly, carbonated water having a high carbonated gas pressure can be provided to the user for a longer period of time.

The carbonated water manufacturing method according to the present invention can be implemented without a water level sensor or a pressure sensor by designing the size of the mixing container according to the amount of carbonated water provided to the user at one time and controlling the sequence of the hydraulic pump and each valve accordingly. Various sensors and accompanying control processes can be omitted.

10: mixing container 11: discharge line 111: valve
20: gas supply unit 21: gas supply line 211: valve
31: water supply line 311: valve
40: fluid pump
50: roof line
511: first directional control valve
512: second directional control valve
L : water level sensor
W: water e: water surface A: downstream section
t: water stream

Claims (7)

a mixing container unit which forms a space in which carbonated water is mixed with water and carbon dioxide, and whose bottom is connected to a discharge line;
a gas supply unit supplying high-pressure carbon dioxide to the mixing container unit;
a water supply line connected to an upper portion of the mixing container portion so that water introduced from a water source is introduced from an upper portion of the mixing container portion; and
A fluid pump provided in the water supply line and ejecting water flowing into the mixing container at high speed at high pressure;
carbonated water generator,
In paragraph 1,
Including a loop line connected to the discharge line and the water supply line by a directional valve, respectively, to maintain high-pressure and high-speed ejection by the fluid pump while circulating the liquid in the mixing container to the outside
carbonated water generator,
In claim 1 or 2,
Characterized in that the water supplied from the water supply line is ejected at high pressure and high speed downward from the ceiling of the mixing container unit and collides with the water surface in the mixing container unit to form a gas sheath.
carbonated water generator,
In paragraph 3,
A controller having a water level sensor for detecting the water level in the mixing container unit and operating and controlling the directional switching valve when the water level in the mixing container unit reaches a certain level to operate liquid circulation using the fluid pump and the loop line including
carbonated water generator,
Carbonated water using a carbonated water production device including a mixing container unit forming an airtight space, a gas supply unit supplying carbon dioxide, a water supply line supplying water, and a fluid pump provided in the water supply line and pressurizing water. In the manufacturing method,
Injecting water and carbon dioxide into the mixing vessel unit to set a high-pressure gas environment,
Water is ejected at high pressure and high speed on the water surface through the fluid pump to form a gas sheath and produce carbonated water,
Characterized in that the generated carbonated water is discharged from the mixing container and provided to the user
Method for producing carbonated water.
A mixing container unit forming a sealed space, a gas supply unit supplying carbon dioxide, a water supply line supplying water, a fluid pump provided in the water supply line and pressurizing water, and a liquid from the mixing container unit In the carbonated water production method using a carbonated water production apparatus having a discharge line discharged and a loop line connected to each of the water supply lines by a directional control valve,
Supplying water and carbon dioxide to the mixing container unit to set a high-pressure gas environment filled with water and carbon dioxide gas at a certain level;
Opening a loop line by operating the directional control valve and ejecting a high-pressure, high-speed liquid from the mixing container through the fluid pump to form a gas sheath to generate carbonated water; and
Discharging the generated carbonated water out of the mixing container
Method for producing carbonated water.
In paragraph 5 or 6,
Characterized in that the generated carbonated water is pushed by the pressure of the air layer remaining in the upper layer of the mixing container unit and discharged to the discharge line.
Method for producing carbonated water.

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